Paris Lees, a former sex worker who gave evidence to Mr Vaz's committee earlier this year, took to Twitter on Sunday, pointing out that he was the “same condescending Keith Vaz who told me he ‘couldn't believe’ I'd never met a sex worker that wasn't forced into it” … this begs the question does Keith Vaz pay for sex workers believing, as he claimed to, that sex workers are usually forced into sex work?”

She added: “Keith Vaz paying for sex story IS in public interest. He’s leading a review of the sex work laws. Another patronising North London hypocrite.”

In preliminary findings published in July this year, the committee said the Home Office should immediately change the law so that soliciting is no longer an offence.

Mr Vaz, a married father of two, said: “Treating soliciting as a criminal offence is having an adverse effect, and it is wrong that sex workers, who are predominantly women, should be penalised and stigmatised in this way. The criminalisation of sex workers should therefore end.'

Mr Vaz, 59, was also under fire as a result of the tabloid story for allegedly texting one of the men “try and pick up some poppers”.

Earlier this year Mr Vaz said he did not know about the muscle relaxant, telling MPs on the floor of the House of Commons that of his surprise over a claim "that at ministers have stood at the Dispatch Box having had poppers."

He added that Lyn Brown, the shadow minister who made the claim, "obviously knows more than I do about such issues”.

Later Mr Vaz added that “without equivocation” he would vote against legalising poppers if a review found that they are harmful.

The Sunday Mirror also reported Mr Vaz offered to give money to the men to buy cocaine after saying there was no “coke” in the flat.

When one of the escorts said the class A drug was not available Mr Vaz reportedly said: “Ask him how much it is – next time.” Later he allegedly said: “He can buy and I’ll give him the money.”

These remarks came despite Mr Vaz launching an investigation into the harmful effects of cocaine with Mitch Winehouse, the father of popstar Amy Winehouse, who died in 2011 aged 27 after becoming addicted to class A drugs.

Mr Vaz said in 2009: “As part of our investigation into the cocaine trade we want to explore the human cost of drug taking, particularly on users and their families.

“We are pleased Mitch Winehouse, the father of Amy, has agreed to share with us research for a documentary on the damaging effects of drug abuse and of the effectiveness of drug rehabilitation.